It?s no longer a news flash that interracial and interethnic relationships and families are on the rise?as the nation goes the way of Los Angeles, becoming increasingly multiethnic.
But what is life in these relationships like behind closed doors, as couples navigate the challenges of work, children, in-laws, even different ways of communicating?
Tomorrow evening, I?ll be moderating a community forum at KPCC in which several couples?will share their own experiences. Until then, I?m offering some sneak peeks on this site, as couples who are participating share a bit about themselves in mini-Q&A interviews.
Today?s couple:?KPCC?s OffRamp host John Rabe and Julian Bermudez, a producer of art exhibits. For a same-sex couple, some of the intercultural challenges are the same as those of male-female couples, others quite different. (There are in-law issues just the same, but they might have more to do with what a staunchly old-country mother tolerates, for example.)
John and Julian will share more on Thursday, but here?s a taste:
M-A:?What are the most important things you?ve learned from one another, in the context of your different backgrounds?
John: Re my behavior: This may be playing into a stereotype but my staid German self has learned to let loose with my emotions more, like a Latino. To be a little more warm-loosed.?Re the world: I?ve learned quite a bit about the various Latino cultures ? language, traditions, music, art ? which I probably wouldn?t have if I?d have dated/married a white guy.
Julian:?It wasn?t until I began dating John that I realized how ?Latino? I really was. Common traits ? fiery, intense, passionate, etc. ? became more apparent to me as our relationship grew. However, over the years, I?ve become less reactive and fiery; much more calm and cerebral. Somehow, I?m a bit more like John used to be before we dated.
M-A: What have the biggest challenges been?
John: I can?t say that the cross-cultural aspect of our relationship has presented any huge challenge. It?s a spice, not the main course. Maybe that Julian?s mom, who has since softened significantly, was a total homophobe, having been born in a Mexican village and considering herself very Catholic. But we deal much more with his father?s side of the family, which has been here for generations and is much more American regarding the Gay. But any relationship will have problems with the in-laws.
Julian:?There really haven?t been that many challenges or obstacles keeping us from our relationship. My father and grandmother (his mom) have been extremely supportive, but in a way that is normal in the everyday experience.
My dad considers John his other son (never referring to him as his son-in-law). However, there is a tenuous relationship with my mother ? a Mexican immigrant who considers herself a devout Catholic. Although she has become more comfortable with the idea of my relationship with John, it was difficult for her to accept us early on. Other than that, things have been pretty good.
M-A: Can you share an amusing/enlightening/etc. cross-cultural moment?
John: We?d been dating a few months exclusively. At that point, in my world, we?re ?boyfriends,? which to me and my people just means we?ve been dating exclusively for a few months. Nothing more.?I referred to Julian as my ?boyfriend? and he hit the roof. I told a couple Mexican-American coworkers, and they made the ?oh no you didn?t? face and explained that to many Latinos, ?boyfriend? and ?girlfriend? = practically engaged. In the meantime, you?re ?friends.?
To me, it still seems a little silly to use a euphemism to refer to someone you?re sleeping with (I?m friends with Zev Yaroslavsky and Steve Lopez but I?m not sleeping with them), but it?s not a battle worth fighting.
Julian:?When I first introduced John to my grandmother (my dad?s mom) it was Easter Sunday. My family was having a barbeque in The Comptons. I knew the entire family would be there and I was sure they would get along with John; and vice-versa.
As soon as my grandmother saw John, I noticed her eyes light up and she was SUPER happy! When she and I had a private moment together, she said, ?Mijo he?s very handsome and SO tall! And, he?s white! That?s a good boy! Marry him!??This was followed by a sweet little giggle.
Read a Q&A with a different couple here. To attend the event tomorrow night?at KPCC?s Crawford Family Forum,?check the event listing.?Admission is free, but reservations are required.
Genes predict if medication can help you quit smokingPublic release date: 30-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jim Dryden jdryden@wustl.edu 314-286-0110 Washington University School of Medicine
The same gene variations that make it difficult to stop smoking also increase the likelihood that heavy smokers will respond to nicotine-replacement therapy and drugs that thwart cravings, a new study shows.
The research, led by investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, will appear online May 30 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
The study suggests it may one day be possible to predict which patients are most likely to benefit from drug treatments for nicotine addiction.
"Smokers whose genetic makeup puts them at the greatest risk for heavy smoking, nicotine addiction and problems kicking the habit also appear to be the same people who respond most robustly to pharmacologic therapy for smoking cessation," says senior investigator Laura Jean Bierut, MD, professor of psychiatry. "Our research suggests that a person's genetic makeup can help us better predict who is most likely to respond to drug therapy so we can make sure those individuals are treated with medication in addition to counseling or other interventions."
For the new study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 5,000 smokers who participated in community-based studies and more than 1,000 smokers in a clinical treatment study. The scientists focused on the relationship between their ability to quit smoking successfully and genetic variations that have been associated with risk for heavy smoking and nicotine dependence.
"People with the high-risk genetic markers smoked an average of two years longer than those without these high-risk genes, and they were less likely to quit smoking without medication," says first author Li-Shiun Chen, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University. "The same gene variants can predict a person's response to smoking-cessation medication, and those with the high-risk genes are more likely to respond to the medication."
In the clinical treatment trial, individuals with the high-risk variants were three times more likely to respond to drug therapy, such as nicotine gum, nicotine patches, the antidepressant buproprion and other drugs used to help people quit.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the United States and a major public health problem worldwide. Cigarette smoking contributes to the deaths of an estimated 443,000 Americans each year. Although lung cancer is the leading cause of smoking-related cancer death among both men and women, tobacco also contributes to other lung problems, many other cancers and heart attacks.
Bierut and Chen say that the gene variations they studied are not the only ones involved in whether a person smokes, becomes addicted to nicotine or has difficulty quitting. But they contend that because the same genes can predict both heavy smoking and enhanced response to drug treatment, the genetic variants are important to the addiction puzzle.
"It's almost like we have a 'corner piece' here," Bierut says. "It's a key piece of the puzzle, and now we can build on it. Clearly these genes aren't the entire story other genes play a role, and environmental factors also are important. But we've identified a group that's responding to pharmacologic treatment and a group that's not responding, and that's a key step in improving, and eventually tailoring, treatments to help people quit smoking."
Since people without the risky genetic variants aren't as likely to respond to drugs, Bierut says they should get counseling or other non-drug therapies.
"This is an actionable genetic finding," Chen says. "Scientific journals publish genetic findings every day, but this one is actionable because treatment could be based on a person's genetic makeup. I think this study is moving us closer to personalized medicine, which is where we want to go."
And Bierut says that although earlier studies suggested the genes had only a modest influence on smoking and addiction, the new clinical findings indicate the genetic variations are having a big effect on treatment response.
"These variants make a very modest contribution to the development of nicotine addiction, but they have a much greater effect on the response to treatment. That's a huge finding," she says.
###
Chen LS, Baker TB, Piper ME, Breslau N, Cannon DS, Doheny KF, Gogarten SM, Johnson EO, Saccone NL, Wang JC, Weiss RB, Goate AM, Bierut LJ. Interplay of genetic risk factors (CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4) and cessation treatments in smoking cessation success. American Journal of Psychiatry, published online May 30, 2012; doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.11101545.
Bierut, Goate and Wang are listed as inventors on issued U.S. Patent 8,080,371, "Markers for Addiction" covering the use of certain SNPs in determining the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of addiction.
Funding for this research comes from the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH grant numbers P01 CA089392, P50 CA84724, K05 CA139871, P50 DA19706, R01 DA026911, K02 DA021237, K08 DA030398, U01 HG004422, KL2 RR024994, U01 HG004438, HHSN268200782096C (contract), U01 HG004446, N01 HC55015 (contract), N01 HC55016 (contract), N01 HC55018 (contract), N01 HC-55019 (contract), N01 HC55020 (contract), N01 HC55021 (contract), N01 HC55022 (contract), R01 HL087641, R01 HL59367, R01 HL086694, U01 HG004402, HHSN268200625226C (contract) and UL1 RR025005.
Washington University School of Medicine's 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Genes predict if medication can help you quit smokingPublic release date: 30-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jim Dryden jdryden@wustl.edu 314-286-0110 Washington University School of Medicine
The same gene variations that make it difficult to stop smoking also increase the likelihood that heavy smokers will respond to nicotine-replacement therapy and drugs that thwart cravings, a new study shows.
The research, led by investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, will appear online May 30 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
The study suggests it may one day be possible to predict which patients are most likely to benefit from drug treatments for nicotine addiction.
"Smokers whose genetic makeup puts them at the greatest risk for heavy smoking, nicotine addiction and problems kicking the habit also appear to be the same people who respond most robustly to pharmacologic therapy for smoking cessation," says senior investigator Laura Jean Bierut, MD, professor of psychiatry. "Our research suggests that a person's genetic makeup can help us better predict who is most likely to respond to drug therapy so we can make sure those individuals are treated with medication in addition to counseling or other interventions."
For the new study, the researchers analyzed data from more than 5,000 smokers who participated in community-based studies and more than 1,000 smokers in a clinical treatment study. The scientists focused on the relationship between their ability to quit smoking successfully and genetic variations that have been associated with risk for heavy smoking and nicotine dependence.
"People with the high-risk genetic markers smoked an average of two years longer than those without these high-risk genes, and they were less likely to quit smoking without medication," says first author Li-Shiun Chen, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University. "The same gene variants can predict a person's response to smoking-cessation medication, and those with the high-risk genes are more likely to respond to the medication."
In the clinical treatment trial, individuals with the high-risk variants were three times more likely to respond to drug therapy, such as nicotine gum, nicotine patches, the antidepressant buproprion and other drugs used to help people quit.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the United States and a major public health problem worldwide. Cigarette smoking contributes to the deaths of an estimated 443,000 Americans each year. Although lung cancer is the leading cause of smoking-related cancer death among both men and women, tobacco also contributes to other lung problems, many other cancers and heart attacks.
Bierut and Chen say that the gene variations they studied are not the only ones involved in whether a person smokes, becomes addicted to nicotine or has difficulty quitting. But they contend that because the same genes can predict both heavy smoking and enhanced response to drug treatment, the genetic variants are important to the addiction puzzle.
"It's almost like we have a 'corner piece' here," Bierut says. "It's a key piece of the puzzle, and now we can build on it. Clearly these genes aren't the entire story other genes play a role, and environmental factors also are important. But we've identified a group that's responding to pharmacologic treatment and a group that's not responding, and that's a key step in improving, and eventually tailoring, treatments to help people quit smoking."
Since people without the risky genetic variants aren't as likely to respond to drugs, Bierut says they should get counseling or other non-drug therapies.
"This is an actionable genetic finding," Chen says. "Scientific journals publish genetic findings every day, but this one is actionable because treatment could be based on a person's genetic makeup. I think this study is moving us closer to personalized medicine, which is where we want to go."
And Bierut says that although earlier studies suggested the genes had only a modest influence on smoking and addiction, the new clinical findings indicate the genetic variations are having a big effect on treatment response.
"These variants make a very modest contribution to the development of nicotine addiction, but they have a much greater effect on the response to treatment. That's a huge finding," she says.
###
Chen LS, Baker TB, Piper ME, Breslau N, Cannon DS, Doheny KF, Gogarten SM, Johnson EO, Saccone NL, Wang JC, Weiss RB, Goate AM, Bierut LJ. Interplay of genetic risk factors (CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4) and cessation treatments in smoking cessation success. American Journal of Psychiatry, published online May 30, 2012; doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.11101545.
Bierut, Goate and Wang are listed as inventors on issued U.S. Patent 8,080,371, "Markers for Addiction" covering the use of certain SNPs in determining the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of addiction.
Funding for this research comes from the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Human Genome Research Institute, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Center for Research Resources of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH grant numbers P01 CA089392, P50 CA84724, K05 CA139871, P50 DA19706, R01 DA026911, K02 DA021237, K08 DA030398, U01 HG004422, KL2 RR024994, U01 HG004438, HHSN268200782096C (contract), U01 HG004446, N01 HC55015 (contract), N01 HC55016 (contract), N01 HC55018 (contract), N01 HC-55019 (contract), N01 HC55020 (contract), N01 HC55021 (contract), N01 HC55022 (contract), R01 HL087641, R01 HL59367, R01 HL086694, U01 HG004402, HHSN268200625226C (contract) and UL1 RR025005.
Washington University School of Medicine's 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
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Your house has a big impact on how you feel on a regular basis. All of us spend a good deal of time in our homes and people who work from home know better than the rest of us the impact your home environment can have on your life. By making your house a place of relaxing refuge, you will improve your attitude and create a home that refreshes you daily. You can really make a home into a place where you want to spend time by following these tips.
Keep your own comfort in your mind. Although it is normal for your home to not be perfect, major flaws can cause you displeasure. Little changes can make your whole lifestyle a happier one. Buy a new kitchen set, or replace your lumpy, old sofa with a softer one.
If there isn?t any space in a room, make it bigger. Although organization can help the appearance of a room, it only goes so far. Expanding your room just a few inches can make it feel quite a bit larger and will help give you a calm feeling.
Adding recreational spaces to your home is a great way to make it a more pleasant place to spend time. Why not convert a room into a game area, featuring a pool table and dartboard? Adding a hot tub or pool is also a great way to enhance your home?s value. Making small adjustments, such as adding a basketball hoop, to your yard can make your house more fun.
Sometimes lighting in a home can be a problem that causes those living there to feel drained. Eyestrain and fatigue are a few effects of poor lighting. Adding new lights and changing existing lighting are quick home improvement methods that can add usable space to your home, as well as bettering your mood.
project on rainwater harvestingWhen improving your home, the exterior also deserves some attention. You can add value and visual appeal to your home with fresh paint, modern windows, and updated roofing. Small improvements will not only increase the value of your home, but will make it seem more inviting and welcoming to you and your guests.
A carefully selected home improvement project is an investment in your property; however, these projects are equally beneficial to your sense of well-being. When you love your home, spending time there is a real joy.
For more information about project on rainwater harvesting visit our website.
Personal Transformation Hypnosis: Core Values Mediation, Spirit Guide, Hypnosis Self Help, Binaural Beats Nlp has become available in audiobook format from Audible.com. The book was published by Hypnosis LLC and was authored by Erick Brown.Personal Transformation Hypnosis: Core Values Mediation, Spirit Guide, Hypnosis Self Help, Binaural Beats Nlp was narrated by 19.98 and has a running length of 2 hours and 59 min. It was first released in February 2012 and a sample is available for download.
Audible.com?s description of the audiobook is ?Have you felt like you?ve lost touch with yourself, and are questioning your core values? Are you looking for ways to rediscover who you are and where your life is headed? Take charge of the path your life is on and get deeper connected with yourself with this hypnosis program from Erick Brown. Personal Transformation will help you to realign your emotional and moral compass and give you answers to questions you may be having about where your life is headed. Subliminal suggestions for deep relaxation and positive change will be received by your subconscious, increasing your connection to yourself and your core beliefs. Don?t spend another day wondering how to connect with yourself and what you stand for. You can transform and embrace your life today. Personal Transformation includes an instructional track and three hypnosis tracks for you to choose from:
one containing a beach induction that will lull you into a deep state of relaxation with the soothing sounds of waves hitting the shore, allowing you to let go of any mental inhibitions and be completely open to positive change.
One containing a staircase induction that will walk you down a mental stairway into a deeply relaxed state that ends with you in a peaceful, safe place where you can feel comfortable enough to completely open up to these hypnotic suggestions.
One containing a speed induction that will quickly take you into a deeply relaxed state. Use this track if you are already familiar with the relaxation process and would like to quickly move into deep relaxation.
Bonus Track: Deep Sleep Subliminal -This subliminal bonus track can be used with your hypnosis program or on its own for a deep, restful sleep. Binaural beats and solfeggio tones relax your brainwaves and body, melting away tension and stress.?
The book is typically sold by Audible.com for $13.99, but if you?re not already a member of the AudibleListener? program, you can get a great deal and get Personal Transformation Hypnosis: Core Values Mediation, Spirit Guide, Hypnosis Self Help, Binaural Beats Nlp or any other book for free with a 30-day free trial. If you are already a member of the AudibleListener? program, the book is available for 1 credit(s).
Audible.com is the largest provider of digital audiobooks and audio entertainment in North America. Audible audiobooks can be played on more than 500 devices, including iPods, iPhones, iPads and Android devices. Audible.com has more than 85,000 books in every genre, including fiction, non-fiction, periodicals, as well as titles featured on national best sellers lists.
There are two monthly subscription plans that Audible makes available The Platinum Plan, at $22.95 per month, entitles members to 2 audiobook credits each month. The Gold Plan, at $14.95 per month, provides members 1 audiobook credit per month. Both plans will entitle you to great discounts on additional audiobook purchases. If you haven?t signed up for Audible yet, you can try Audible.com without paying a dime by taking advantage of a 30-day free trial offer which includes 1 free audiobook.
To acquire Personal Transformation Hypnosis: Core Values Mediation, Spirit Guide, Hypnosis Self Help, Binaural Beats Nlp or another audiobook as a free download, visit Audible.com.
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SUMMERDALE, Alabama ? A local investor paid $218,000 for about 3 acres at the corner of Ala. 59 and Jackson Street in Summerdale and plans to renovate the large house on the land for future commercial use, according to Tim Herrington of Herrington Realty.
Truland Homes paid $480,000 for 15 lots in Beau Chene subdivision on Rigsby Road off Ala. 181 in Daphne, according to Nathan Cox of Bellator Real Estate Development. The builders plan to construct homes in the $500,000 range, he said. They have eight homes in various stages of construction.
The owner of Zeke?s Landing on Cotton Bayou in Orange Beach is seeking a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fill less than an acres of coastal fringe wetlands on Cotton Bayou to develop nine single-family homes and build a 15-slip marina, according to the corps.
K Company, a hair salon, has opened in 1,200 square feet at 790 Daphne Ave., in old town Daphne, according to Larry Chason of Chason Earle Real Estate in Daphne.
Foundation of Faith Ministries has leased 4,000 square feet in Azalea Business Park off Moffett Road in Semmes, according to Tina Gaston Davis of Harmony Realty Development. The space was formerly occupied by Fastenal.
Transportation Technology Services has leased 1,000 square feet of office space in Tanner Williams Business Park on Tanner Williams Court in west Mobile, according to Davis of Harmony Realty.
SealMaster, a wholesale supplier of asphalt products, has leased an 8,000-square-foot office warehouse in Wolf Ridge Industrial Park off Wolf Ridge Road in Prichard, according to Joey Betbeze of Betbeze Realty, who represented the landlord. Loyd Marston of Springhill Real Estate worked for the Atlanta-based tenant.
Construction is under way on Sizemore Creek Commons, an 80-unit apartment complex at 51 Wooten Road near Highway 21 in Atmore, according to Royal Management Co. The one, two- and three-bedroom apartments should be finished by August.
Attorney Richard Hinds has opened an office in the GMO Building at 110 Beauregard St., downtown, according to Pete Riehm and Tammy Adcock of Grubb Ellis/Peebles Cameron, who represented the landlord.
The four-bedroom Parade of Homes showcase house in Leighton Place off Riviere Du Chien Road has sold for $369,000, according to Kym Trest and Joe Burkholder of Roberts Brothers, who represented the seller and the buyer. The 3,016-square-foot house was built by Lynn Nolen for last fall?s Home Builders Association of Metro Mobile home tour.
Fighting continues as UN peace broker Kofi Annan arrives in Damascus. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
By msnbc.com news services
Updated at 3:34 p.m. ET: MOSCOW -- Russia further backed away from its support of Syrian President Bashar Assad on Monday, saying his government bears the main responsibility for the violence in the country and calling for a full investigation into its role in the deaths of more than 100 civilians in Houla.?
"Both sides have obviously had a hand in the deaths of innocent people, including several dozen women and children. This area is controlled by the rebels, but it is also surrounded by government troops," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks in Moscow with visiting British Foreign Secretary William Hague.?
Meanwhile, international mediator Kofi Annan, who arrived in Damascus Monday for talks with senior Syrian officials, said he was horrified by the killings in Houla and urged the Syrian government to take bold steps to show it was serious about reaching a peaceful solution to the country's crisis.
Lavrov spoke a day after Russia agreed to join the rest of the U.N. Security Council in blaming the Syrian government for attacking residential areas in Houla, a collection of villages near the central city of Homs. The council, however, avoided saying who was responsible for the massacre of at least 108 men, women and children.?
Opposition activists said Assad's forces killed at least 41 people in an artillery assault on the city of Hama shortly after the U.N. Security Council condemned Friday's massacre in nearby Houla. The authorities in Damascus issued a denial that troops played any role at Houla, rejecting the U.N. version of events.
Lavrov said there was no doubt that government forces had used artillery and tanks to shell Houla, but he noted that many of the dead appeared to have been shot at close range or tortured.?"The guilt has to be determined objectively," he said. "No one is saying that the government is not guilty, and no one is saying that the armed militants are not guilty."?
Yuri Kadobnov / AFP - Getty Images
Visiting British Foreign Minister William Hague (L) looks at Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during their meeting on Syria in Moscow on Monday.
But Lavrov did issue?some of Russia's harshest criticism of Assad to date, saying the Syrian ?government "bears the main responsibility for what is going on" because it is failing to provide for the security of Syrian citizens. He hedged the criticism by claiming that Syria's government is facing an increased threat from terrorists, whose bombings have the "clear signature of al-Qaida."?
Alexei Malashenko, a Middle East expert with the Carnegie Moscow Center, said Russia can no longer defend Assad's government and may be warning him that he needs to change his approach.?
"Bashar Assad is driving himself and Russia into a corner," Malashenko said. "If this goes on, Russia will have no other option" but to pull its support. "Bashar has definitely gotten the sense that he may lose Russia's sympathy and he may step back a bit."?
Syria blamed terrorists for the Sunday massacre of more than 100 people, including children. Washington isn't buying it. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
Lavrov and Hague both called for greater efforts to implement special envoy Annan's six-point peace plan, which calls on both sides to respect a cease-fire.?
Speaking shortly after arriving in Damascus, Annan said he expected to have "serious and frank discussions" with Assad. The two men are due to meet on Tuesday, according to the Syrian Foreign Ministry.
Clinton: Syria leader's 'rule by murder' must end?
Annan said the massacre in Houla was "an appalling crime, and the (U.N.) Security Council has rightly condemned it." Western countries have blamed Assad's forces for the killings, a charge Damascus denies.
"I urge the (Syrian) government to take bold steps to signal that it is serious in its intention to resolve this crisis peacefully, and for everyone involved to help create the right context for a credible political process," Annan told reporters on his arrival in Damascus.?
Shaam News Network / Reuters
A resident of Houla shows a body to a UN observer as they stand near the bodies of people whom anti-government protesters say were killed by government security forces on Friday.
"It's right, as Sergey Lavrov has just done, to call on all parties to cease violence, and we are not arguing that all violence in Syria is the responsibility of the Assad regime, although it has the primary responsibility for such violence," Hague said.?
Lavrov added that "we don't support the Syrian government, we support Kofi Annan's plan."?
The Russian envoy called for everyone in the international community to exert more pressure on both sides to implement Annan's plan, saying it was not clear from talks with opposition members that they were getting the message that the plan had full international support.
He said talk about the need for Assad to step down cast doubt on the West's commitment to the Annan plan and encouraged the opposition to keep up the fight.?
Hague, however, confirmed that Britain still believes Assad should stand aside.?
"But the important thing is that the Annan plan is pursued in whatever way it can be pursued," he said. "The alternatives are the Annan plan or ever-increasing chaos in Syria, and a descent closer and closer to all-out civil war and collapse."?
'Boiling point': On Lebanon's Syria Street, a civil war brews
China on Monday also condemned the killings of civilians in Houla and called for an end to the violence, but gave no indication it was rethinking its strategy toward the fighting in Syria.?
NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports from war-torn Homs showing how parts of the city have been ravaged by fighting while others spared.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said that Beijing fully supports Annan's mediation efforts and the UN monitors.?
The protests against Assad began in March 2011 and turned into an uprising after his government responded with a violent crackdown on dissent. The U.N. estimated that at least 9,000 people were killed in the first year of the conflict, but hundreds more have been killed since then.?
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.?
The PSA test does more harm than good, the group said. It pointed to two huge, expensive studies, which involved 259,000 men in the United States and Europe, that found that routine PSA testing of healthy men saved, at best, one life per thousand. And the tests drove many men to get expensive treatment ? surgery, radiation, chemotherapy ? they didn?t need. That?s the harm part.
The recommendation came from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which in 2009 sparked an ever bigger storm by throwing doubt on the value of routine mammograms, especially for women in their 40s.
In both cases, the strong reactions stem from a fundamental divide between personal experiences with cancer screening and the statistical realities revealed by large studies.
?THE PSA TESTS SAVED MY LIFE!!!? one man wrote in an e-mail to The Post, calling the government task force a ?death panel.?
He was expressing a cancer narrative that runs strong in our culture. It goes like this: I got a cancer test. It showed a suspicious result. A biopsy (which snips out a bit of tissue) then revealed that I had cancer. I chose treatment. Surgery, radiation or chemotherapy got rid of the cancer. I?m cured now.
The test saved my life.
Well, maybe.
With prostate cancer, there?s a problem with that story: There?s often no way to know if a particular case would have been fatal if left untreated. That is, it?s impossible to know if the treatment really cured you ? or if you would have lived a long life without it.
It?s an unsatisfying ? and confusing ? reality of prostate cancer.
As Post medical writer David Brown reported last year, about 240,000 American men receive diagnoses of prostate cancer annually. But in more than half of those cases ? about 130,000 ? the tumors are localized and low-risk. That means the tumor is confined to the prostate and is growing slowly.
In December, a group of experts appointed by the National Institutes of Health recommended that men with this form of prostate cancer forgo immediate treatment. (This NIH panel also debated whether it was time to stop calling such tumors ?cancer.?) Keep an eye on it, they said, with regular doctor visits and tests. But don?t immediately rush to have your prostate removed, which can cause incontinence, impotence and, in rare cases, infections and dangerous blood clots.
But because these low-risk cases are called ?cancer,? the natural reaction, instead, is this: Get it out. Operate. Give me radiation. Cure me.
Urologists, oncologists and surgeons offer these options to patients with even the lowest-risk tumors. They treat cancer for a living, so they tend to err on the side of giving treatment.
As a result, about 90 percent of men with the low-risk prostate tumors opt for treatment.
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When looking into construction financing for a commercial project, its going to be important to get a semi accurate assessment of how much financing you can hope to secure before getting to far into the project.
Many times the property owner can start out with assumptions or guidelines related to being able to secure a construction loan that are inaccurate which can create problems completing the work on time and in budget. So here?s a few things to keep in mind about how a lender undertake a commercial construction financing process.
First, you are better off reviewing, in detail,? your plans and preliminary budgets with relevant construction lending sources prior to spending too much money.
There can be a tendency to make assumptions as to what costs a lender will cover, and what value they will assign to the work completed prior to you speaking with them. If your assumptions turn out to be off by a wide margin, it may become difficult to arrange financing with what you have to work with at that point as it may be difficult to alter the scope of the project for various reasons.
Second, the fundamental basis for approving a construction loan is going to be based on the lender?s opinion of the property value before, during, and immediately after construction. So its going to be important to support property values through third party appraisals at all relevant intervals of the project.
The starting point is always going to be ?what is the land worth today in its as is state?? So if you paid $300,000 for a piece of real estate 60 days ago, its unlikely that a lender will now consider it to be worth any more than that.
Property owners and builders can get overly hung up on getting the budget for the project financed instead of the market value of the end product.
For example, if you have a $5,000,000 construction budget for a project to be erected on a $500,000 piece of property, the starting point would be that a construction lender would consider financing 65% to 70% of the project value.
But what is the project value?
On a cost basis, one can argue that the project value is $5,500,000.
But if we get a qualified appraiser to come up with a post construction value of the property, based on the plans and budgets, the amount can be more or less than $5,500,000.
And there is a real risk of it being less if the scope of the construction work provides building improvements and functionality that are going to be unique to the future tenant(s). A market value appraisal may provide significant discounting of the value associated with a ?non standard construction?, providing a lower baseline that a construction lender will finance from.
Another way of putting this is that a construction financing source will provide up to 65% to 70% of market value of the completed project, to a maximum of the budgeted amount.
Third, any shortfall between what a construction mortgage provider is prepared to advance and your total capital required, is going to have to be invested by the builder in the form of cash or through leveraging of other real estate assets, which is not uncommon and can be an effective solution to make the numbers work.
Once again, its important to have all of this understood before you spend very much money so that the project can be structured within the scope of what can realistically be provided by a construction loan source.
If you have a commercial construction financing requirement for a project you are planning or are in the middle of, I suggest that you give me a call so I can go through your requirements with you and discuss different financing solutions that may be available to you.
Click Here To Speak With Toronto Mortgage Broker Joe Walsh For A Free Assessment Of Your Commercial Construction Financing Options
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DUBLIN (AP) ? Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny made a nationally televised appeal Sunday to voters to support the European Union's fiscal treaty in a referendum this week, warning that rejection would send the signal that Ireland was not serious about tackling its deficits and was no longer a secure member of the euro currency.
Kenny said a "yes" verdict in Thursday's referendum was essential to ensure that Ireland could tap EU bailout funds in 2013, if necessary. Ireland's current EU-International Monetary Fund loans are due to run out by the end of next year, and the treaty specifies that only ratified members could access future EU loans.
"A strong 'yes' vote will create the certainty and stability that our country needs to continue on the road to economic recovery. This treaty will not solve all of our problems, but it is one part of the solution," Kenny said in his 4-minute TV address to his debt-burdened nation of 4.5 million.
Ireland is the only nation among 25 signatories putting the deficit-fighting treaty to a national vote, and critics of the German-led push for austerity are hoping that Ireland's increasingly euroskeptical voters reject the pact.
Treaty architects ensured that an Irish "no" could not veto progress elsewhere, stipulating that it would require formal ratification from just 12 countries to become law in those countries. And Kenny argued that an Irish rejection would do far and away the most damage to Ireland's own interests.
"Only a 'yes' vote will give Ireland guaranteed access to Europe's permanent rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism, should Ireland ever need it. I want this country to have the same access as all other euro countries to this insurance policy. This is very important," said Kenny, who has insisted that Ireland should be able to resume normal borrowing on bond markets next year.
Kenny added that Ireland's exceptional reliance on foreign corporate investment also made the treaty's approval essential. Ireland's tepid return to economic growth over the past year has been driven by strong exports from the approximately 950 high-tech multinationals, including 600 U.S. companies, with Irish operations.
"In my recent visits to the United States, in China and elsewhere, the consistent message from both political and business leaders is that they want to see certainty about Ireland's place in the eurozone. A 'yes' vote will provide that certainty and will confirm to investors that Ireland is a reliable place, with stable conditions," he said.
Three opinion polls published in different Sunday newspapers in Ireland all registered a strong lead for the "yes" camp. Middle-class urban voters have consistently polled most strongly pro-treaty, while voters in the rural west and northwest are most strongly opposed.
However, polls during Ireland's EU treaty referendums in 2001 and 2008 also pointed to approval ? only to see higher turnout among anti-EU voters shoot down both treaties. The governments of the day overturned those verdicts by rerunning the referendums the following year, but Kenny insists his government won't restage this contest if he's defeated.
A lot's bubbling in the Law & Order sector of technology news this week, and you know these guys will get you hyper-informed on the ins and outs of patents, patent trolls, and the definition of "obviousness" as it applies to the lives of both the dinosaurs and the pioneers of said sector. If you're not into that stuff, we can't blame you, and for you we'll play along with Maker Faire from home and wax meta on Finnish phone companies. From our studio, to your home, it's The Engadget Podcast.
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace.
Send your questions to @tim_stevens. Leave us a voicemail: (423) 438-3005 (GADGET-3005) E-mail us: podcast at engadget dot com Twitter: @bheater, @tim_stevens
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????LONGMEADOW, MA, May 26, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Fred Astaire Franchised Dance Studios (FADS), headquartered in Longmeadow, Massachusetts (USA) announced this week the opening of their Cape Town, South Africa dance studio.
CEO and President Jack Rothweiler called the opening "an exciting chapter for both the company and Cape Towners." As the second most populous city in South Africa, Cape Town is an indelible symbol of the beauty and promise of post-apartheid South Africa. Its logo -- an outline of the majestic Table Mountain superimposed over a rainbow -- suggests its historic mix of races and cultures. A popular tourist attraction, located on the shore of Table Bay, Cape Town is a health-oriented city which takes social dancing seriously
New franchisee Chris Sauer, along with wife, Gail, both South African natives, will run the daily operations of the studio. Gail has over 15 years experience teaching social and Latin American style dancing having previously worked at Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Sandton, while Chris has administrative experience working there as well. As the newest franchisees in the FADS organization, the Sauer's already knew about U.S.-based company's philosophy, teaching methods, and naturally -- its iconic namesake.
The studio offers instruction in smooth and rhythm styles which are the basis of classic dances such as Tango, Cha-Cha-Cha, Waltz, Foxtrot and Swing.
For more information on location, hours and lessons visit: http://www.fadstygervalley.co.za or call + 011-27-218-3-78667.
Co-founded by the legendary Fred Astaire,our studios set the standard of excellence in dance instruction. From Ballroom to Latin to Swing to Salsa, we offer all styles of dance lessons for all ages and abilities in a fun atmosphere.
Contact: Corporate Office Address
Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Inc.
10 Bliss Rd
Longmeadow, MA 01106
P 413-567-3200
F 413-565-2298 http://www.fredastaire.com
--- Press release service and press release distribution provided by http://www.24-7pressrelease.com
# # #
Press Release Keywords:
fred astaire, fred astaire franchised dance studios, cape town, south africa, ballroom dance, salsa, waltz, tango, rumba, foxtrot, dance lessons, grand opening
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) - Dominican relief pitcher Juan Carlos Oviedo says he has his U.S. visa, and will able to rejoin the Miami Marlins in August after serving a suspension from Major League Baseball.
Oviedo was caught playing under the fake name of Leo Nunez and spent the offseason in the Dominican Republic clearing up his immigration status. He said Friday that he had received a visa from the U.S. government and would be in South Florida on Monday.
His suspension will be for eight weeks, a person familiar with the case said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the suspension hasn't been announced.
Marlins reliever Edward Mujica, who spoke by phone with Oviedo, said his teammate is excited about rejoining the Marlins.
"He's happy, and I'm happy for him," Mujica said. "He had a bad secret and didn't say anything to anybody, and he's sad about that. Now it's good because everybody knows his real name. But it's going to be hard to call him J.C., you know?"
Oviedo, who turned professional in 2000, has said he used a fake name since he was young so he could say he was old enough to sign his first contract.
He played under the name Leo Nunez for seven major league seasons and had 36 saves and a 4.06 ERA in 68 games for the Marlins in 2011.
They acquired All-Star closer Heath Bell in the offseason, and Oviedo is expected to be given a setup role.
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Who deserves some early awards?
DeMarco: David Wright's hot bat ? he's hitting .405 ? makes him the pick for NL MVP thus far. But that's just for starters in our feature.
Pirates blank Cubs for 10th straight loss
PITTSBURGH (AP) - A.J. Burnett and four relievers worked out of trouble all game and the Pittsburgh Pirates sent the Chicago Cubs to their 10th straight loss with a 1-0 victory on Friday night.
Alex Salmond, Scotland's first minister and leader of the Scottish National Party attends a campaign for Scottish independence with supporters at Cineworld on May 25, 2012 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
By Reuters
With rousing speeches, patriotic music and support from actor Sean Connery, supporters of independence for Scotland launched a campaign on Friday that they hope will lead to the demise of a 305-year-old union with England and the breakup of Britain.
"This is the beginning of something really special - the beginning of the campaign to restore nationhood to Scotland," Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), told hundreds of supporters in a hall in the capital Edinburgh.
"We want a Scotland that is fairer and more prosperous."
The campaign hopes to tap into a blend of historical rivalry, different political tastes, and a perception that the British parliament in London does not safeguard Scotland's interests to win a referendum in 2014, which would pave the way for full independence two years later.
If successful, the drive could create serious problems for Britain, which comprises England, Scotland and Wales (Britain is in turn part of the United Kingdom, which also includes Northern Ireland).
Bates College student dies after going swimming at Scottish beach
With its kilts and tartans, bagpipes and whiskey, Scotland has a distinctive, if romanticized, culture. It also has a darker history of poverty, violence and ill health, notably concentrated in the largest city Glasgow, once an engine of the British Empire.
Scotland already has many of the trappings of an independent nation such as its own flag, sports teams, and a history of achievements in science and literature.
Britain's current government, a coalition between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrat Party, is opposed to Scottish independence, as is the opposition Labour Party. Britain is stronger as a union, they argue, and an independent Scotland might struggle on Europe's fringes.
The SNP's Salmond, speaking in front of a giant screen showing a cloud-flecked blue sky, had no such doubts.
He said his aim was to get one million Scots to sign the "Yes Declaration" before the referendum.
Support from Sean Connery Under a devolved system of government, the Scottish parliament created in 1999 controls health, education and prisons, while the British government in London controls everything else, including foreign policy and defense.
"If the parliament can run education, why can't we run the economy? And if we can protect our old people why can't we protect ourselves without the obscenity of nuclear weapons?" Salmond told the audience.
The launch event drew on rousing patriotic music and a film showing the country's stunning Highland landscapes, fishermen, universities, and, inevitably, leaping kilt-clad dancers.
It also relied on celebrity endorsement. A message of support was read out from actor Sean Connery, an Edinburgh milkman before he found fame as secret agent James Bond.
Hollywood actor Brian Cox called Scotland's current predicament "centralized servitude" and related how, like many Scots, he had become disenchanted by previous Labour governments led by former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
"The parliament at Westminster can see no further than the end of its own bridge," he said.
Scotland's national poet Liz Lochhead read out a poem focused on English-Scottish rivalry in the 16th century.
Opinion polls show that around 40 percent of Scottish people are sympathetic to independence, with around 10 percent undecided and the remaining 50 percent opposed. South of the border in England, polls show people are largely apathetic.
Author Harry Reid said the referendum's success may hinge on whether the Labour Party, traditionally popular in Scotland, can revive its fortunes.
Scotland is more inclined to vote for the left, whereas English voters have voted in much larger numbers for the right, underscoring a political fault line between north and south.
Although the Conservative Party won more votes than any other party at the last British general election in 2010, it won only one parliamentary seat in Scotland.
Move over, Al Roker! Prince Charles becomes TV weatherman
One joke doing the rounds since two Chinese pandas took up residence in Edinburgh Zoo notes that there are now more pandas in Scotland than Conservative MPs.
Diminished role? Scotland's preference for a more center-left brand of politics that favors egalitarianism over the free market is reflected in education policy. In England, students have to pay large tuition fees to attend university, whereas in Scotland such education remains free for Scots.
Reid said disenchanted Labour voters who switched to the SNP in disgust at Labour's support for U.S. foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan may yet return to the fold. If they do, Scotland's dreams of independence could evaporate, he said.
"If we're going to get a decent Labour government back in 2015 people might wonder whether they really need independence."
Despite its relatively small population of just over five million, compared to England's population of just over 52 million, there are also fears that a "yes" vote would diminish Britain's voice on the world stage.
"The rest of the world would be surprised and shocked that the UK was unable to hold together," Professor John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde told Reuters in a phone interview.
Total plugs gas leak off Scotland's coast after 7 weeks
Britain would find it harder to maintain its voice within international bodies such as at the U.N. Security Council or the European Union.
There are also questions about whether Britain would be able to keep its nuclear submarine fleet in Scotland, where it's now based. Also, revenues from Scottish North Sea oil remain important to its coffers.
But history runs deep and, symbolically, the independence referendum will be held on the 700th anniversary of the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn, when an army commanded by England's King Edward II was defeated by a smaller force led by Robert the Bruce, a source of enduring pride for Scottish patriots.
Scotland and England have shared a monarch since 1603 and have been ruled by one single parliament in London since 1707. The SNP's Salmond has said an independent Scotland would retain Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch.
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Public release date: 30-May-2012
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Personal Transformation Hypnosis: Core Values Mediation, Spirit Guide, Hypnosis Self Help, Binaural Beats Nlp has become available in audiobook format from Audible.com. The book was published by Hypnosis LLC and was authored by Erick Brown.Personal Transformation Hypnosis: Core Values Mediation, Spirit Guide, Hypnosis Self Help, Binaural Beats Nlp was narrated by 19.98 and has a running length of 2 hours and 59 min. It was first released in February 2012 and a sample is available for download.
